Your needs, this model
Does it fit your priorities?
Can compatible Ethernet software print color Legal reports on both sides with the supplied 250-sheet ordinary-paper reserve?
Qualifies with earlier references enabled. The exact dn includes Ethernet and automatic duplex; its original automatic-duplex table supports ordinary Legal paper at the stated weight. The cassette provides 250 ordinary sheets. The separate attended priority sheet does not satisfy a 251-sheet unattended-capacity requirement.
Explore this need in the finder →Does this configuration provide built-in infrastructure Wi-Fi printing?
Fails. Its documented supplied routes are USB and wired Ethernet. An optional external server is a separate configuration.
Explore this need in the finder →Can USB also save a scan from an original document?
Fails. This is a print-only laser; the software utilities do not add a scanner.
Explore this need in the finder →The dn configuration adds useful wired-office functions
The HP Color LaserJet 2605dn fits a compatible older computer environment that needs color reports, wired sharing and automatic printed second sides. The exact dn configuration includes both an internal Ethernet print server and automatic duplex. Its deciding tradeoffs are modest declared output rates and the need to verify the actual legacy software route.
HP marks the US Q7822A#ABA reference discontinued. This assessment describes its documented configuration, without a current-stock claim or a hands-on test. Check the physical unit, consumables, electrical plate and intended driver before committing it to regular work.
Keep the base, dn and dtn configurations apart
The original guide distinguishes three models. The base 2605 has a USB connection, while the dn adds the internal 10/100 Ethernet print server and automatic two-sided printing. The dtn further includes another paper tray and memory-card slots. Those dtn additions are not part of the ordinary dn.
The included dn paper sources are a 250-sheet cassette and a one-sheet priority slot. The ordinary paper reserve is 250 sheets; the attended priority sheet does not provide another cassette or a 251-sheet unattended reserve. The priority slot is useful for an occasional different sheet without replacing the cassette's contents.
A photograph of a taller dtn or a general family listing can obscure those differences. When inspecting an actual unit, confirm the model label and installed parts rather than assuming the entire illustrated family configuration is supplied.
Automatic duplex has a specific paper range
The original automatic two-sided paper table explicitly includes Letter, Legal and A4 ordinary paper at the specified 60 to 105 grams per square meter. Compatible desktop driver controls select the binding direction and send the job through the installed duplexer.
This matters for longer reports: automatic duplex is positively supported rather than inferred from a manual refeed instruction elsewhere in the same guide. Check the installed driver's configuration and print a representative two-sided document with the intended binding before a longer run.
Special media remains a separate routine. Envelopes can use the priority slot individually or the cassette in a supported small stack, with the correct paper type, size and orientation. The ordinary-paper duplex feature does not imply that envelopes, labels or heavier media can travel through the duplex path.
Use the driver appropriate to the actual connection
USB supports a local computer, while the included Ethernet server supports suitable wired-network printing. The original software section describes those two arrangements and distinguishes the features exposed by its PCL and PostScript drivers. A generic queue that prints a basic page may still offer different options.
The original Macintosh instructions also describe duplex binding controls. Their historical operating-system references do not establish complete support on a current Mac or Windows installation. Confirm the available driver, connection and job settings for the actual computer instead of treating a network socket as a compatibility guarantee.
Built-in infrastructure Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct and modern mobile protocols are not established in this assessment. An optional external server would be another configuration, with its own requirements. The documented supplied network route here is wired Ethernet.
Color output does not make this a multifunction device
The 2605dn is print-only. It has no glass, original-document feeder, copier or fax. Printer management software and a color status page do not create those physical functions. Compare a documented multifunction model when saving original documents is part of the job.
HP declares twelve black and ten color pages per minute on Letter/A4. Those are continuous output declarations, without a timing measurement by this site. The exact support page recommends 500 to 1,500 monthly pages; no maximum duty figure is substituted for that recurring workload.
Leave room and evaluate the supplies honestly
The original exact dn body with consumables is approximately 16.02 by 16.24 by 15.54 inches and 43.82 pounds. Allow additional room for paper loading, covers and servicing, and verify the actual electrical edition. The base 2605 and extra-tray dtn have different heights and weights.
Historic cartridge-life declarations use approximately five-percent coverage, rather than a current cost calculation or a remaining-yield guarantee. Choose the 2605dn for a proven wired color-output workflow with supported duplex paper. A requirement for scanning, built-in wireless convenience or substantially higher recurring volume calls for another documented configuration.
Key details at a glance
| Color printing | Yes |
|---|---|
| Scanner | No |
| Copying | No |
| Fax | No |
| Flatbed scanner | No |
| Automatic document feeder | No |
| Automatic two-sided printing | Yes |
| Automatic two-sided scanning | No |
| Single-pass two-sided scanning | No |
| Color scanning | No |
| Instructed envelope handling | Yes |
| Recommended monthly minimum | 500 pages |
| Recommended monthly maximum | 1500 pages |
| Included ordinary-paper capacity | 250 sheets |
| Declared one-sided mono Letter rate | 12 pages/min |
| Declared one-sided color Letter rate | 10 pages/min |
| Unit-body width | 16.02 in |
| Unit-body depth | 16.24 in |
| Unit-body height | 15.54 in |
| Unit weight | 43.82 lb |
| Imaging engine | laser |
Use the exact model’s instructions for operating limits, supplied equipment and version differences.
Paper, software and setup details
Print-rate conditions
The original guide declares 12 black and 10 color ppm on Letter/A4. The exact support page recommends 500–1,500 monthly pages. Maximum duty is unconfirmed here. These are maker declarations, without a timing or endurance test.
Paper handling
Included Tray 1 is a one-sheet priority slot and Tray 2 a 250-sheet cassette at 75 g/m². The normal ordinary-paper reserve is 250; the attended priority sheet is excluded from minimum-capacity matching. Their paper range covers Letter/Legal/A4. The separate automatic-duplex table explicitly supports those ordinary-paper sizes at 60–105 g/m². Envelopes use one in Tray 1 or up to ten in Tray 2, with distinct settings. Optional Tray 3 is excluded; its capacity inconsistency in the original is irrelevant to this base reserve.
Scanning arrangement
Print-only configuration: no physical scanner, copier, fax or document feeder. Desktop software and network management do not supply those devices.
Computer and mobile connections
Included USB 2.0 and internal 10/100Base-T Ethernet print server. Original software provides printer drivers for direct USB or the built-in network arrangement. No built-in wireless route, Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint or Mopria support is established here. External optional print servers are not counted as supplied hardware.
Supplies and declared yields
Original cartridge-life declarations are about 2,500 black pages and 2,000 each yellow/cyan/magenta at approximately 5% coverage. Included-cartridge yield is not independently established here. Verify exact regional replacement parts and actual condition rather than treating a supplies gauge as guaranteed remaining output. No current supply cost is calculated.
Software and support
Use a compatible HP driver with the installed duplexer recognized and select the proper binding orientation. The guide distinguishes PCL and PostScript driver features; a working generic queue may expose different controls. Original Macintosh instructions provide a two-sided binding routine. Check the actual computer and driver; historic operating-system names are not universal current compatibility. PIN release remains unknown.
Electrical edition and setup
Exact US Q7822A#ABA is discontinued. Original exact dn body with consumables is 16.02×16.24×15.54 inches and 43.82 lb; neither the shorter base 2605 nor taller dtn body is substituted. Allow loading, cover and service access. The original separates low/high-voltage editions, so actual unit US mains suitability remains unknown pending plate verification.
Sources for this assessment
Find a printer for your routine.
Match color output, scanning, connections and paper handling, then compare the exact models.